


The Lothering Girl

by Hodgefics



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Crossing Timelines, Developing Friendships, F/M, Female Friendship, Friendship, Heartbreak, Post-Amaranthine, Shared Trauma, Unrequited Love, drinking buddies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:27:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26437927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hodgefics/pseuds/Hodgefics
Summary: Audriana convinces herself that a visit to Kirkwall is in order, but Zevran isn't the only one she's looking for.
Relationships: Female Cousland/Nathaniel Howe (one-sided), Female Hawke/Fenris (Mentioned), Zevran Arainai/Female Cousland (mentioned)
Kudos: 3





	1. The Decision

**Author's Note:**

> This mini-chapter is set at a Grey Warden camp somewhere in Thedas. Nathaniel is a big softie who doesn't really want to let the Warden go.

“That traitorous bastard! He doesn’t write to me for months and he somehow finds the time to fight alongside one of his old flings in a Maker-forsaken rebellion?!?” Audriana yells as she throws daggers into the wall. 

“Audriana, he fought for the mages, just like you would have done,” Nathaniel says in an attempt to calm her down.

“So what? You can’t honestly think he did that for me.”

“He probably did it because it was right and because you have defended the mages for your entire life!”

Audriana scowls. “Why are you defending him? He left on his so-called ‘mission’ ages ago and he gave me that stupid promise token without having ever told me he loved me, and now my only news of him comes from gossip!!!” 

“Commander, I know you’re upset, but--”

“But nothing! This is it! If he can move on to new lands with new people, then so can I! I’ve wasted years of my youth and years of my limited lifespan waiting for him, but no more! And you!” She yells, turning her attention to Nathaniel and he has to resist the urge to duck as she wags the dagger in her hand at him.

“What are you doing wasting your time here with me? You wanted to bring honor back to the Howe name all those years ago and you’ve hardly spoken to anyone but me for the past couple years! What about Delilah and your nephew? What about Amaranthine? Can you honestly tell me you don’t want to go back home?”

Nathaniel stares at Audriana silently. He cannot believe that after all the time he’s spent with her that she still doesn’t see how much she means to him--that returning to Amaranthine without her would be pointless. Still, his nagging guilt at leaving the Howe name the way it was pokes at the back of his brain and leads him to utter the words he quickly comes to regret.

“I...you’re right, Audriana. I should be home with my family. I should be working to make sure that her son does not grow up ashamed to be a Howe.”

Audriana’s shoulders slump slightly, the flaming anger consuming her moments ago temporarily forgotten. “I think that would be best.” 

“And what will you do?” He asks with concern masked as a casual curiosity before he turns away from her to begin packing his things. 

“I need to get away for a while, clear my head,” Audriana says before she turns to stare out the window. “And talk to that Lothering girl.” She mutters. 

Nathaniel throws her a confused look before he sighs and looks away from her again. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright alone? 

“I am capable of many things, Nate. How could you doubt me after all this time?” She jests.

He turns to face her and the serious look in his eyes throws her off-balance. “I am fully aware of what you are capable of, Commander. But you are upset and hurt and I need to know you won’t do anything foolish.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

Nathaniel nods and takes a deep breath. He moves to leave the house, but he stops as his hand touches the door. Making up his mind, he marches back to Audriana and grabs her face in his hands. He brings his lips to hers, putting all his hope, all his fear, and all his love for her into the kiss. Audriana feels her whole body freeze and before she can react, he has released her and is walking back towards the door. The look of his deep brown eyes as he turns away from her for the final time both stops her heart and sends it flying in her chest. 

Once the door is closed behind him, Audriana traces her lips with her fingers as she tries to ignore the growing pit in her stomach.


	2. At Least We Have Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've always thought that the Warden, the Champion, and the Inquisitor would get along. Hawke and Hof meet first.

Hawke sighs as she stretches to relieve the ache in her back. Downing another drink, she turns to watch the door of the tavern. A woman enters the tavern, soaking wet from the rain and dressed in a cloak. 

The woman approaches the bartender and speaks in hushed tones. The bartender turns to point at Hawke and the woman nods and slips him a few coins. 

She has manners, Hawke notes to herself. A rarity in the Kirkwall slums.

As the woman reaches Hawke, her jaw drops as she recognizes the figure in front of her. 

The determination in her walk should have told her instantly that the woman was of importance, but there was no mistaking those deep brown eyes, the marks on her face, and the power radiating from the small woman. 

“You’re the Hero of Ferelden.” Hawke blurts out.

The woman glances to either side of them and leans in closer to Hawke. “If you’re anything like me, you want to keep your identity private in places like this.”

“Right, sorry,” Hawke says as she does her best to make room for Audriana. “We don’t get too many heroes around here.”

Audriana frowns at Hawke’s words. “They have you.” She says simply.

Hawke stares up at Audriana with wide eyes and she nervously tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “Not everyone thinks I’m a hero.” She says quietly. 

“The mages would have been massacred if you hadn’t intervened.” 

Hawke chuckles softly. “If you hadn’t intervened, all of Thedas would have been massacred.”

Audriana chuckles. “I suppose that’s true. But even so, I have a long list of enemies. You can’t be a hero to everyone.”

Hawke nods and motions for Audriana to take the seat next to her. Audriana sits and looks at the pile of empty flasks on the table.

“I have a high tolerance,” Hawke explains, shrugging.

“Right,” Audriana says before turning back to Hawke.

Hawke studies her for a moment before her face breaks out into a cheeky grin. “You know, I’ve always wanted to meet the Hero of Ferelden. My friend Varric is going to be so jealous.” 

“I’d be glad to meet with him--so long as he doesn’t write any more stories about my ‘exploits’ across Thedas,” Audriana says with a smirk. 

“Ha! The Hero of Ferelden has read Varric’s dirty stories! Oh, I can’t wait to tell him!” Hawke says laughing. 

Audriana’s smile quickly fades and she looks away from the table. 

Hawke shifts her weight uncomfortably before she rests her arms on the table. “Commander, can I ask what brought you to Kirkwall?” 

Audriana sighs. “I came looking for information on someone. Though, I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing now that I’m here. I suppose I thought I would have something to say to you after all this...some words of wisdom, perhaps, but I think I just wanted to be around someone who has hurt as much as I have.”

Hawke nods slowly and Audriana watches her with a thoughtful expression.

“Does he help?” She asks suddenly.

Hawke frowns in confusion. “Who?”

“The elf you’re with. Does he help with the pain?”

Hawke chuckles darkly. “If anything, he adds to it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize--”

“It’s alright. I deserve it for chasing after a violent mage-hating elf who spent most of his as a slave. You know, when my mother died, all he could say to me was that I was lucky I knew my mother. It’s not difficult to say you’re sorry for someone’s loss, is it? It infuriated me.”

“And you lost interest,” Audriana says softly.

“Yeah. I wish he had said something that stupid years ago so that I could have...anyway, to answer your question, no, I’m suffering all on my own. What of your assassin?”

Audriana sighs. “He comforted me as best he could. When I confronted the man who killed my family, I could not bring myself to finish him off, so Zevran killed him for me. He guarded his feelings, but…”

“But he loves you.” Hawke finishes.

“I like to think so, yes.”

“You came to Kirkwall looking for him?”

“Yes.”

“I met Zevran a while ago when he was being chased by some Crows in the desert outside the city. He was quite charming.” Hawke says carefully, amused by Audriana’s sudden frown. “One of my friends, Isabela, has known him for years.”

“I’ve met Isabela. She taught me quite a bit about dueling...and cheating at cards.” Audriana says as she folds her arms over her chest.

“That sounds like Isabela alright,” Hawke says as she watches Audriana with a small look of concern. “You know, I thought for sure that she’d jump your assassin’s bones, but when she came on to him, he told her that he was...committed elsewhere.”

Audriana’s head perks up. “You mean Zevran refused sex from a gorgeous ex-paramour?”

Hawke nods. “He was quite adamant about it. Isabela was convinced he’d ‘fallen for the Warden’.” 

“I...thank you for sharing that with me, Hawke. It just makes what I came here to do all that much harder.” Audriana says with a sigh before she runs a hand through her hair.  “Do you think we’re ever going to be okay?” She asks.

Hawke scoffs. “You mean like settle down and have everyone around us stop dying?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“I should bloody well hope so. We’ve really had a shit go of it.”

Audriana laughs and takes a large swig from one of the tankards on the table. Hawke snorts and pats her back as Audriana coughs on the alcohol.

“You know, Hof, I have a feeling we’re going to be friends,” Hawke says, chuckling. 


End file.
